A growing backlash against the propagation of Pride Month celebrations has come to the NFL after the leaders of 11 teams made it known that their franchises will not be recognizing the designation.
About two-thirds of the league posted inclusive messages on their social media accounts; among them, the Washington Commanders, which said Pride Month is actually about love,FOX News reported, joining the Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles in changing their logo colors to match the rainbow colors of the Pride flag. However, the ubiquity of the LGBTQ holiday has drawn silence from some quarters as an increasing number of Americans grow comfortable refraining from singling out gay, lesbian, and transgender persons for special praise.
In the NFL, that silence was made known by the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, Tennessee Titans, Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos, Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints, and Atlanta Falcons, all of whom declined to post Pride Month messages on their X accounts.
Two divisions, the AFC East and NFC North, saw all teams post topical statements. In contrast, the AFC North – comprised of the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers – saw all but Baltimore remain silent. Other divisions were split.
https://x.com/commanders/status/1796899174782259475?s=46
While the month of June still has a long way to go, missing the traditional coming out of Pride Month statements may send a signal to conservative corners of the country about team leadership and their priorities for the 2024-2025 season. As Outkick’s Armando Salguero notes, the NFL’s leadership, including Commissioner Roger Goodell, hosts an annual gala with GLAAD and promotes other gay community events.
In 2023, a record-high 71% of Americans told Gallup they were comfortable with gay marriage, which became legal following the Supreme Court’s Obergefell decision in 2015. Former President Donald Trump has previously said he is “fine” with gay marriage and has not indicated plans to roll back the right if reelected. However, many of his supporters are more culturally conservative than the Republican and jump on opportunities to critique brands, organizations, or institutions like the NFL if they stray too far into virtue-signaling territory.
Among last year’s offenders was Targer Corporation, which pulled its LGBTQ-themed children’s wear following high-profile viral videos showing conservatives trooping through their stores. Not long after, Kohl’s suffered the same fate and saw its stock plummet. Other companies like Bud Light and Netflix were similarly punished for venturing into the Pride Month celebrations. In the MLB, fans and players united in opposition to the L.A. Dodgers’ decision to host a drag-themed night.
